Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College

The Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College houses an outstanding collection of American art. The collection is chiefly paintings, works on paper, and photographs from the 19th through 21st centuries. Located on the Randolph campus and open to visitors all year, the Maier serves both the academic community and the general public. It offers changing exhibitions, rotating displays of the permanent collection, and educational programs. The Collection The College’s tradition of collecting art dates to 1907, when senior class commissioned American artist William Merritt Chase to paint the College’s first president, William Waugh Smith. Louise Jordan Smith, the school’s first professor of art (and President Smith’s cousin), believed first-hand study of the art of one’s time was vital to liberal arts education. She established an annual exhibition of contemporary art in 1911 (which continue to this day). The College’s first acquisition was made in 1914 from the 4th Annual Exhibition. The Building The art collection was exhibited throughout campus until 1977. After which, major works were moved to the current facility, known as the “Art Gallery.” The building was constructed in 1952 by the National Gallery of Art to protect the national art collection in wartime, “Project Y.” In 1981-82, it was renovated and opened as the Maier Museum of Art in 1983. While many works are displayed on campus, the most significant pieces are stored and exhibited at the Museum.

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